Home hazard report for 21046 — Columbia, MD
ZIP 21046 is served by Howard County D.P.W. Distribution: no health-based violations since 2016, latest lead result 3 ppb, PFAS 2 detected. Howard County is in EPA radon zone 1.
No health-based violations reported since 2016.
90th-percentile lead in the latest round (Jan 2018). Lead comes mostly from household plumbing and service lines, so individual homes can be higher.
PFAS were detected, with PFOA and PFOS below 4.0 ppt (highest not detected).
Predicted average indoor radon above 4 pCi/L — EPA’s action level. Test your home.
FEMA’s overall natural-hazard risk for this census tract, relative to the rest of the U.S.
The nearest active Superfund site is 9.0 miles away.
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Where ZIP 21046 is
Dashed: ZIP area · blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoomDrinking water: Howard County D.P.W. Distribution
Health-based violations
No health-based violations reported since 2016.
Lead
90th-percentile lead per sampling round (90% of the homes sampled were at or below this level). Black line: EPA’s 15 ppb action level; under the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements the action level becomes 10 ppb from 2027.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
| Compound | Highest result | Samples with detection | EPA limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFPeA | 3.6 ppt | 3 of 8 | — |
| PFHxA | 3.4 ppt | 1 of 8 | — |
| PFHpA | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFDA | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFOS | not detected | 0 of 8 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFHxS | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFBS | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFNA | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFOA | not detected | 0 of 8 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFBA | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
EPA Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5), samples 2023–2025; ppt = parts per trillion (ng/L). The 4.0 ppt maximum contaminant levels for PFOA and PFOS were set by EPA in 2024; water systems have until the end of the decade to comply.
Radon in Howard County
EPA radon zone 1 — highest potential. Predicted average indoor radon above 4 pCi/L — EPA’s action level. Test your home.
Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas from soil and rock, and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above and considering it from 2 pCi/L. A short-term test kit costs about $15–30. How radon zones work →
Natural hazard risk
FEMA rates the overall natural-hazard risk of this neighborhood (census tract) as Very Low, with relatively low social vulnerability and very high community resilience.
FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025): expected annual losses from each hazard combined with social vulnerability and community resilience, rated relative to all U.S. census tracts. Hazards not listed are not applicable here. It describes the area, not a single building; flood insurance maps (FEMA FIRMs) decide flood-insurance requirements.
Live conditions: river gauges and flood levels · tornado warnings · wildfire detections · earthquakes — our sister maps, updated from NOAA, USGS and NASA every few minutes.
Superfund sites nearby
| Site | Status | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-Atlantic Wood Preservers, Inc. Harmans, Maryland · EPA ID MDD064882889 | Cleaned up & deleted | 7.4 mi |
| Fort George G. Meade Odenton, Maryland · EPA ID MD9210020567 | Active (final NPL) | 9.0 mi |
EPA Superfund National Priorities List (NPL): the country’s most serious known hazardous-waste sites, each with an EPA cleanup record (linked). Distance is measured from the ZIP center to the site’s reference point; being near a site does not by itself mean exposure — EPA site pages describe what was found and how it is being cleaned up.
What this is — and isn’t. These are records your water utility and state reported to the EPA, and the EPA’s radon map for your county. They describe the system and the area, not the water from your own tap or the air in your home. For that, read your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report and test: lead and radon tests are inexpensive.
Questions about 21046
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 21046?
Howard County D.P.W. Distribution (EPA ID MD0130002), a surface water (rivers, lakes) system serving about 286,158 people.
Is there lead in Columbia, MD tap water?
The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jan 2018) was 3 ppb; EPA’s action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb from 2027. Lead mostly comes from service lines and home plumbing, so the only way to know your tap is to test it.
Does Columbia, MD water have PFAS?
PFAS were detected, with PFOA and PFOS below 4.0 ppt (highest not detected).
Has the water system in 21046 had violations?
No health-based violations reported since 2016.
What natural hazards affect ZIP 21046?
FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk here as Very Low; the highest-rated hazards are winter weather (relatively high), heat wave (relatively moderate), lightning (relatively moderate).
Are there Superfund sites near 21046?
The nearest active Superfund site is 9.0 miles away. Sites within 10 miles: Mid-Atlantic Wood Preservers, Inc. (7.4 mi, Cleaned up & deleted); Fort George G. Meade (9.0 mi, Active (final NPL)).
Is radon a problem in Howard County?
Howard County is in EPA radon zone 1 (highest potential). Predicted average indoor radon above 4 pCi/L — EPA’s action level. Test your home.